Salma Abdalla, an associate professor at WashU Public Health, and Liz Chiarello, an associate professor of sociology in WashU Arts & Sciences, have been named 2026 Public Scholarship faculty fellows.
The Public Scholarship faculty fellowship recognizes WashU scholars whose work connects rigorous research with public audiences. Abdalla and Chiarello were selected as fellows in recognition of their sustained commitment to translating research for people outside of the academy - through media appearances, accessible storytelling and original public-facing content.
Abdalla is receiving funding to support her public health podcast, "Complicating the Narrative." Chiarello is receiving support to adapt her recent book, "Policing Patients: Treatment and Surveillance on the Frontlines of the Opioid Crisis" (Princeton University Press, 2024), into an audiobook.
"Abdalla and Chiarello are exactly the kind of scholars this program was created to support and celebrate," said Christopher Schaberg, director of public scholarship at WashU. "Their commitment to reaching people beyond the academy sets a powerful example for what this kind of impact can look like across WashU."
